The invention relates to an instrument holder for a surgical instrument, comprising a shank equipped with a head designed to receive an instrument, and an annular locking component mounted so as to slide about the shank, under the head, equipped with locking means which cooperate with the head so as to lock the instrument on the head, and pushed against the head by a helical spring.
An instrument holder of this type is known in particular from U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,290 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,433, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A surgical instrument, for example for preparing for the fitting of a hip prosthesis, works in a medium which causes considerable soiling of the instrument and the instrument holder. Moreover, a surgical instrument holder must be cleaned very frequently and very carefully in order to avoid any risk of infection. However, cleaning of surgical instruments is difficult, in particular cleaning of the space between the shank and the locking component on account of the presence of bone debris and coagulated blood.
Still further, surgical procedures in total hip replacement are becoming more focused on being minimally invasive. The incision is reduced to a minimum possible for the implant size (50 mm in some cases). One such procedure involves the insertion of an acetabular reamer through one incision and the reamer holder through another incision. In larger patients, the current release mechanisms are in the patient's body or too close to it to be operable. With small incisions, the problem is compounded. Further, passing the reamer into the wound can be difficult with the handle attached. Surgeons may wish to remove the reamer in the wound (in the acetabulum) to verify, size, bone condition and eventual implant orientation. Such features require that the surgeon be able to connect and disconnect the tool remotely, from an actuator that is outside the patient's body. In larger patients, the present release mechanisms are in the wound or inaccessible. Again, with small in incisions the problem is compounded.
What is needed therefore is an instrument holder that is simple to disassemble for cleaning without special tools, and which a surgeon can operate remotely, installing or removing a reamer or other tool in situ, while the tool is inside a cavity or incision in the patient.